A grand jury reached a decision Monday in the case against the Ferguson police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in August, touching off nationwide protests and cries of police brutality.
The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney in St. Louis County, Mo., made the announcement shortly before 3 p.m. CT, but did not say when the decision would be revealed and gave no indication whether Darren Wilson would be charged in the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Wilson, 28, shot and killed Brown on a Ferguson, Mo. street following a scuffle on Aug. 9 as the teenager and a friend walked back from a convenience store. Brown's body lay in the street for four hours in the summer heat, and neighbors later lashed out at authorities, saying they mistreated the body.
Witnesses later said that Brown had his hands raised and was trying to surrender when Wilson approached with his gun and fired repeatedly. Several media organizations, citing sources they didn't identify, have reported Wilson told grand jurors Brown was coming at him aggressively.
The shooting triggered riots and looting in and around the Ferguson area, and police responded to protesters with armored vehicles and tear gas. At times, much of the debate surrounding the shooting has focused as much on authorities' response -- which also featured officers equipped with military style gear, including armored vehicles, body armor and assault rifles -- as the shooting itself.
Officials had expressed concern that the widespread and sometimes violent protests would occur again, and authorities had stepped up security in the St. Louis area in anticipation of renewed protests leading up to the grand jury's decision.
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